


Nightlight

by VeraBAdler



Series: October 2018 challenges [26]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 23:27:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeraBAdler/pseuds/VeraBAdler
Summary: A bad dream sends Cas into Dean's room.Fictober prompt: “But if you cannot see it, is it really there?”Promptober prompt: Magical Girl





	Nightlight

There is a nightlight in Dean's room. It's not Pink Disney Princess® brand. It doesn't have cartoon cowboys painted on it. It's old-fashioned, probably made in the 40s – a plain, small bulb attached directly to a plug that fits the oddly-shaped wall sockets in the Bunker.

Dean found it in a junk drawer when he was getting the kitchen set up for use after they moved in. He plugged it in after he almost killed himself tripping over his still-packed duffel in the middle of the night. He'd come home late from a rough hunt, dropped his shit on the floor, and fallen into bed. Three hours later he'd gotten up to piss and almost brained himself on the corner of his desk when his foot hit his bag and his body went down hard. The nightlight went in the next morning, and it's probably saved his skull a few times since then.

That was all before, though. Before this. Before _them_. Before the two of them wrapped around each other in one bed. That part of the story starts like this:

“Dean? ...Dean?”

Dean wakes to the sound of his name being called in a soft, broken voice.

“Cas? What time is it?”

“It's late, Dean. The middle of the night. I'm sorry I woke you. Can I please come in?”

“Sure, Cas, let me turn on the light.”

“No, don't. I... I just want to talk for a minute.”

His voice is unsteady.

“Cas, are you crying? Are you okay? What happened?” Dean reaches for the lamp on the nightstand and switches it on. 

His friend is standing in the doorway of Dean's room, looking small and rumpled. His cheeks are wet with tears, and his nose is running.

“Cas, come here. Are you hurt? _What happened_?” Disoriented after being pulled out of sleep, Dean starts to feel a little panicky. He's never seen Cas look so vulnerable, so _human_.

“I had a dream. A nightmare. Can I sit with you for a little while?”

“Yeah, Cas, come here.” He shifts to make space for Cas, who perches on the edge of the mattress next to him. “Nightmares, huh? That sucks. You want to talk about it?”

“It was... I was somewhere dark. I was alone, but I knew I was in danger. I couldn't see anything near me, but...”

“Just cuz you couldn't see anything didn't mean it wasn't there?”

“Yes, exactly. I felt the presence of... _things_ all around me, and I knew they meant me great harm. I woke myself up, but it was so dark in my room. The fear didn't leave me even though I was awake. So...” he shrugs and looks away, embarrassed.

“So you needed some company. I get it, Cas. No shame in that. You're always welcome here.”

“...Thank you, Dean. I appreciate the gesture. I'm still sorry that I disturbed you. I should go now and let you get back to sleep.”

“Nah, it's okay. I've had my four hours. I'll probably just watch a movie or something. You want in?” He pulls back the blankets behind him, on the other side of the bed. “C'mon, get comfy.”

“You don't mind if I stay”

“'Course not, man. I like hanging out with you.”

Cas moves eagerly around the bed and lies down, snuggling the covers up tight below his chin. Dean can't help but laugh fondly. “Wow, when you get comfy you don't half-ass it. Now, what do you want to watch?”

“Can we finish the one we were watching the other day?”

“Yeah, lemme queue that up.” He navigates through Netflix to find their place in the movie. While it's buffering, he reaches to turn the lamp off again. He feels Cas tense up. “Don't worry, buddy. It's never all the way dark in here. See?” He gestures towards the tiny bulb in the wall socket.

“Oh, that's nice. I like that.” By the nightlight's glow, Dean can see him smile. He looks so soft. When the movie pops up, blaring harsh light directly into their faces, he's a little disappointed.

He hits play and they settle in to watch, but the memory foam works its magic and soon Cas's eyes slip closed. When Dean realizes, twenty minutes in, that his friend's breathing has become slow and regular, he shuts down the laptop and sets it back on the floor. He turns onto his side, facing away from his bedmate in an attempt to respect his personal space. Then he lets himself drift off.

He wakes a couple hours later to a feeling of incomparable warmth and comfort. Although the windowless room is still lit only by the little nightlight, he can tell by how rested he feels that it's close to mid-morning. When his brain comes back online, he realizes that he's lying in Cas's arms, his head on his friend's chest. When he cracks one eye open to peek up, he can see Cas smiling down at him.

“Good morning, Dean,” Cas murmurs, squeezing him in a happy little hug, and as Dean finishes waking up he savors the realization that he's exactly where he wants to be, and he's tired of pretending otherwise.

“Morning, sunshine,” he says, and pecks a light kiss to Cas's jaw.

Cas's smile gets wider, and he uses his hold on Dean's body to pull him up so that they're level, both heads on one pillow. Then he leans in and returns the kiss, this time to Dean's lips.

They trade kisses like that for a long time, arms wrapped around each other and legs tangled under the blankets. Dean introduces Cas to the fine art of hickeys, and then Cas shows him what he's learned. They also talk, a little. By the time a need for brunch forces them out of bed, they've come to a new understanding about their feelings, their relationship, and whose room exactly they'd been sleeping in last night.

There is a nightlight in Dean and Cas's room. It's not Sanrio® Hello Kitty Sailor Moon brand. It doesn't have cartoon bumblebees painted on it. It's simple and plain, and it casts a tiny light – just enough light for them to find their way together.

**Author's Note:**

> I struggled with this one, as you may be able to ascertain from an examination of how close I stuck to the prompts. *cough* Oh well, better luck tomorrow!!
> 
> Rebloggable post for this fic on tumblr is [here](https://blessyourhondahurley.tumblr.com/post/179455845136/october-26-nightlight-verabadler).


End file.
